Over the years, various systems have been developed to operate in conjunction with public and private switching telephone networks to provide specialized functions that lend power, versatility and efficiency to telecommunications.
These various systems are designed to operate on data in one or more of three general categories: voice, text and image. Together, these types of data encompass all data currently desired to be processed or transmitted in communication systems.
The above-described data can be processed or communicated in ways that can be generally categorized as "mail" (also termed "store and forward"), "interactive" and "bulletin" systems. Mail systems allow a user to retrieve voice, text or images that have been exclusively addressed to the user. In such mail systems, it is typical to require the user to enter a unique password to gain access to the exclusively-addressed data. Interactive systems allow a user to control what data the interactive system delivers to the user, and, perhaps, in what order the data is delivered. Unlike mail systems, however, the data need not be exclusively-addressed, and thus can be publicly available. Lastly, bulletin systems allow a user to retrieve publicly available information in a non-interactive, system-controlled fashion.
One type of system directed to handling of data is automatic call distribution ("ACD"), wherein a pool of agents is assigned to answer calls incoming on a particular group of telephone lines. ACD systems handle these calls as they arrive, assigning them to agents in the order received and choosing the agents based on length of idle time. This algorithm of queueing is called "fair queueing." Because human agents are present, such ACD systems are interactive.
Another such system is audio text (or "audio tex"). Audio text system are designed to "play" a message stored in a memory device to a person listening on the other end of the call. These systems are generally not interactive and can be bulletin systems.
Yet another such system is a modem pool. Modem pool systems function in a manner similar to ACD systems. As a plurality of computers make incoming calls to a central pool of modems, typically attached to a single, large, general-purpose computer, the modem pool system assigns the incoming calls in a "fair queueing" manner. Such systems are also typically interactive.
Still another such system is a predictive dialer. Predictive dialers are used in outbound calling applications and typically in conjunction with a pool of agents. Predictive dialers employ statistical techniques to predict the length of time, on average, agents take to handle calls. These dialers further gather statistics regarding the average time required to successfully connect an outbound call. The dialers use these averages and data pertaining to agent availability to place calls from a list of numbers to be dialed, employing their predictive ability to maximize agent utilization. These systems can be mail, interactive or bulletin.
Another such system is voice mail. Voice mail allows callers to leave voice messages with those called. Voice mail systems typically play greeting messages recorded by the called parties, record the time and origin of received messages and allow for callers to exit the system to speak with a human, if desired. Obviously, voice mail systems are categorized as mail systems.
Another such system is facsimile ("fax"). This ubiquitous system has exploded onto the marketplace in recent years and, as is nearly universally understood, gives one the capability to send paper-borne images by telephone. Such systems are image-based and can be implemented as mail, interactive or bulletin systems.
Other image-based systems are adapted to handle graphics or moving images (video). As with fax, these graphics or moving image systems can be mail, interactive or bulletin.
Still another system to be described is automatic number identification ("ANI") systems. These systems are designed to take inbound calls and detect special signals delivered from a central office indicating the phone number of the calling party. Since the signals can uniquely identify the calling party, the call can then be routed to a specific agent or interactive voice response ("IVR") application able to handle that caller, based upon caller identification.
As useful and desirable as these individual systems are, they have always been thought of as independent systems that, at best, adhere to a common protocol for interface and data interchange, allowing them to be attached to and cooperate with, telephone systems, either separately or in combination. However, it should be understood that, in any case, these systems do not cooperate in any fashion apart from superficial connectivity via industry standard telephony connections. Some manufacturers who happen to make more than one type of system may provide a proprietary interface or protocol between systems, but these proprietary links are just that: cooperation at a connectivity level.
Computer technology has worked itself into telephony as effectively as it has in so many other areas. Accordingly, over the years, the above-described systems have moved from the analog to the digital domain, employing digital processors, memory, digital storage media, data and address buses and the like. As it is, each of these systems stands alone, each having its own computer hardware and software. A person wishing to use two systems together must live with the fact that the systems have independent hardware and software.
Another disadvantage of the separate nature of the systems is that each collects call routing and other control data, including data collected during the course of its interaction with a party during a particular call. For instance, assume a system allowing for both ACD and voice mail such that incoming callers may choose to leave a message if all agents are busy. As a particular call begins, the ACD system elicits information from the caller pertaining to the reason for the call. Using dual tone multi-frequency ("DTMF"), ANI or voice recognition, the ACD system captures and stores this information to direct the call to the proper agent or to prompt an agent ahead of time as to what is needed.
The caller, however, may grow weary of waiting and wishes to exit the ACD queue. The ACD system allows for this by providing for an exit upon receipt of a particular tone. However, upon successfully exiting the ACD queue, the caller is once again prompted to supply the very same information to the voice mail system to thereby allow the voice mail system to collect the needed information. The caller has had to give the same information twice, owing to the lack of coordination between the systems.
Of course, if the systems are supplied by the same manufacturer, proprietary interfaces and protocols may allow transfer of the information. But even if this disadvantage is overcome, the systems still duplicate hardware and software. As a particular application demands more and more functions, the problems of integrating the various necessary systems become more acute and perplexing.
Other problems abound. These systems, because they stand alone, have separate maintenance consoles and control languages. The systems must be interconnected by cables that, as the number of cables grows, increases the chances of failure. The loose connectivity of these systems limits rates of data transfer between the systems. In fact, adjunct switching matrices are frequently required to perform ancillary switching tasks that would overload the main switching system, typically a private branch exchange ("PBX").
These systems frequently offer the option of providing reports and statistics concerning their operation. These reports and statistics are frequently incompatible and difficult to integrate. Most often, there is simply no one place from which to obtain reports and statistics. Because of the duplication of hardware and software, these systems are difficult to manage, they are larger and more costly than necessary, and they consume more power and produce more heat than is optimal. In short, integration of these various systems has been a long felt need in the art, but one that, thus far, has been met with dissatisfaction.
Unfortunately, the prior art has failed to provide an effective means by which to integrate these systems under unified software control, allowing them to share information and resources among themselves in a cost and time efficient manner.
The above-mentioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/016,062, entitled "Method and Systems for Unified Voice Telephone Services" and filed on Feb. 10, 1993, is directed to a unified system for handling voice, text and image data in a plurality of "functional partitions," each of which corresponds to one of the heretofore separate systems described above. That unified system is capable of interfacing with a telephone exchange via an integrated call-processing partition.
Since the mid-1970s, more and more companies have taken advantage of interactive voice response ("IVR") systems to automate, and thereby reduce the cost of, providing information to their customers, employees and others.
IVR is actually an extension of audio text systems. An IVR system allows callers to access computer-resident data such as account balances or stock prices through a standard telephone. The IVR system allows the caller to query for data using touch-tone signals, and the result is returned as spoken words. Again, it is obvious that such systems are interactive and can be mail.
These IVR systems have typically handled from 30% to 70% of incoming calls, with the remaining calls being transferred to live operators. When the calls reach the operators, the callers have generally already identified themselves by touch-tone entry of their account number as well as a security code, perhaps as part of an interactive session wherein, for instance, the caller has obtained a balance of a checking account. As previously mentioned, customers justifiably find it aggravating and time consuming to have to re-identify themselves for the agent and then wait for the agent to request information from the host database. Companies that manufacture private branch exchange/automatic call distribution ("PBX/ACD") systems have sought for years to solve this problem by developing interfaces that allow the host application to better integrate the voice, text and image data components of the call. While these measures do provide a means of solving the problem, there are several significant drawbacks to the solution.
The first problem is that the host (or workstation) application must be modified to take full advantage of the PBX/ACD. Many companies have large sums of money invested in their host application and thus, even if they had sufficient staff to make such modifications, they are disinclined to do so.
The second problem is that each PBX/ACD company has its own proprietary host communication link. While there are products, such as IBM's CallPath SwitchServer/2, that abstract differences between telephone or communication link switches, all switches do not support all of the same functions. This means that the host software must still, in many cases, be configured to communicate with each type of switch being used, often requiring different switch drivers to take advantage of each switch's functionality.
The third problem is cost. Current solutions require purchase of high-priced software for both the host computer (or workstations) as well as a high-priced software module for the PBX/ACD. Even after purchase of all this software, there remains the expense of writing host or workstation software to create a solution.
The fourth and possibly most significant problem is the complexity of the solution. One must acquire expertise in 1) the host software, 2) the PBX/ACD software, 3) the IVR software and 4) the voice mail software and then attempt to make it all work together well enough for the system to appear "seamless" to callers.
Clearly, a solution is needed that does not require any changes to the host computer or PBX software and provides a cost effective, single application software environment for controlling calls from start to finish regardless of what is required by the caller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,911, which issued on Jan. 10, 1989, to Szlam et al., discloses a method and apparatus for relieving the agent of the duty of obtaining preliminary caller account information by automatically querying a host database at the beginning of a call. Szlam et al. also provide for on-line, direct updating of the caller account information in the host computer, thereby eliminating the need for consolidation of changes into the caller account file. This provides the agent with the most current information on the caller account. More particularly, Szlam et al. provide an apparatus that automatically dials the telephone number of the caller or potential caller, ascertains the status of the called number and, if the call is answered, routes the call to the next available agent and automatically obtains the current caller account information from the mainframe and displays, at the agent's terminal, the current caller account information. The apparatus also provides for automatic answering and routing of incoming calls to the next available agent along with caller account information retrieved from the mainframe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,857, which issued on Jan. 16, 1990, to Szlam et al., is a continuation-in-part of the Szlam et al. patent described above and provides for a similar method and apparatus for retrofitting and extending or upgrading an existing caller account servicing system to provide for automated handling and processing of both incoming and outgoing calls. The system controller and terminals use the same command and data format structure as that already in use by the existing system and software of the mainframe. The system controller is transparent to the operation of the mainframe and the agent terminals and allows the system to be upgraded without the necessity of purchasing different software or programs for the mainframe.
As mentioned above, the prior art has taken a piecemeal approach to voice, text, image and call processing systems, preferring to treat them as separate and distinct. In limited cases, particularly as illustrated in the patents to Szlam et al., integration of data and call processing systems has been limited to superficial cooperation at a communications protocol level. The prior art has unfortunately failed to provide a seamless, fully integrated voice-, text-and image-based system specifically designed to operate in conjunction with live agents to produce thereby a calling center that is able to be configured to function as a mail, interactive or bulletin system and is adaptable to a wide range of applications without requiring modification of either hardware of software.